We already knew that our students were hard working and committed. They are also curious, creative, respectful, deliberative, and thoughtful. And now we can add goal-oriented to this. In our recent #WITwants2know, 85% of our respondents indicated they had a goal of something they wanted to achieve or accomplish before graduation.
Research has shown that goals have great impact on motivation. We are much more likely to work towards something if we know what that something actually is. The goal is the outcome and everything leading up to that goal (the plan) is perhaps where all the magic happens. This is where we identify our strengths and determine how we use those to reach our goal. We seek out those who can help us with our goal attainment….and they become our advisors, mentors, confidants, cheerleaders, and friends. We fail as we try to reach our goal. And we learn how and why we failed, and we keep moving. The plan requires a lot of thought, research, organization, and innovation. In many ways, it defines who we are more than the goal itself.
So….what are you doing today that will get you closer to where you want to be tomorrow?